The Road to My Heart

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

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 We had logs of wood but we needed sticks to burn, or so I was told, so I set out into the woods that surrounded our campsite and began picking up sticks. I had an arm full by the time I made it back to camp, yet Harry and Justin weren't satisfied.

"It took you that long to get those?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I had to walk a long way to actually find some useful ones." I groaned out. "Are you trying to tell me that this isn't enough?"

"Well, it's not." Justin laughed, "It'd barely keep the fire going for an hour."

"Fine." I huffed and set out again. The walk was shorter this time because I already knew where I was going. Even then it was beginning to get dark out and I wished I brought a flashlight.

Walking in a wooded area in the dark is like walking in circles. It didn't help that the canopy of leaves above me blocked out the moonlight, so it was even darker. I had another hand full of sticks, much bigger pile than my previous haul as I navigated back to the campsite. I must have been traveling through the woods for at least an hour and that's when I knew I was lost.

I reached for my pockets and dread filled me when I realized that they were in fact empty. "Oh my God." I whispered, "I'm going to die here."

Leaves crunching nearby perked my ears and I was relieved as I tried to get to where the sound was coming from. I saw a dark figure walking slowly, his shoulders hunched as he stumbled along. What was he doing, alone in the woods, in the dark. My gut told me to get away from him so I backed up slowly, being as quiet as possible. He was coming closer at his slow pace, and I stepped away again, out of his path.

"Hey, you." His raspy voice shouted as his pace quicked, well as much as his hobble would allow.

I didn't wait as I dropped the sticks in my hands and took off running the opposite way.

"Wait." he called after me. I was terrified and continued to run, I was stopped at the water and I debated weather or not to go in. But before I could even have time to think, I noticed a giant figure roaming the bank, with two little figures behind them.

Bears were common in this area, there were signs all the way up to our campsite warning us. I stayed as still as possible but the bear must have smelt me because she stood up on her hind legs, making her seem ten feet tall.

"Nice bear." I soothed quietly, "I'm just going to back away now and let's forget this happened, Okay? Okay."

Then everything happened so fast, the bear roared, I let out an ear piercing scream and right after a gunshot was heard through the night air. The bear roared again before darting into the woods, the cubs following behind.

I stood there, trying to catch my breath as leaves Crunched behind me, I turned to see my savior and was surprised to see an old man with a rifle. He hobbled toward me and I blushed, I ran away from him only for him save me minutes later.

"You okay squirt?" He sighed in a muffled voice. "I came to warn the campers of a bear sighting and your friends told me that you hadn't came back yet." He sighed answering my unasked question.

"Thank you." I whispered, I was much too shocked to comprehend what he had been saying.

I followed him as he lead me back to camp. I was still scared shitless and could only watch my feet so I didn't trip over branches. When I saw the fire up an head, I jerked my head up and took off running and the old man chuckled from behind me.